A Right to do Wrong

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

with them. Furthermore, Waldron describes the adjective of a right as an “antonym of a wrong” and the word “rightness” can be easily replaced by “claims or entitlements”. (3) However, in a philosophical perspective, it is necessary to realize that words cannot simply be replaced and that we are dealing with the complexity of the word “right.”

When analyzing the nature of rights, it seems plausible to refer to the Hohfeldian analytical system. Waldron rejects this system completely but before I provide reasons on why he is wrong, I will present the different normative elements to clarify the significance behind them. The system entails the following: the privilege, the claim, the power and the immunity. Each of these terms has a “distinctive logical form and the incidents fit in characteristic ways to create complex ‘molecular’ rights.” (4) Privileges are rights in which an individual has “no duty not to do.” (5) For example, a person might paint the walls in his own ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE: